Fatimah (Arabic: فاطمة; fāṭimah; pronounced /ˈfɑːtˤɪma/; born c. 605 or 615 d. 633) was a daughter of Muhammad and Khadijah, wife of Ali and mother of Hasan and Husain, and one of the five members of Ahl al-Bayt.
She became the object of great veneration by all Muslims, because she
lived closest to her father and supported him in his difficulties and
because of historical importance of her husband and her two sons, and
that she is the only member of Muhammad's family that gave him
descendants, numerously spread through the Islamic world. She was involved in three significant political actions, each
recorded in almost all sources. First, after the conquest of Mecca, she
refused her protection to Abu Sufian; Second, after Muhammad's death, she courageously defended Ali’s cause, fiercely opposed the election of Abu Bakr,
and had violent disputes with him and particularly with Umar; Third,
she laid claim to the property rights of her father and challenged Abu
Bakr’s categorical refusal to cede them, particularly Fadak and a share in the produce of Khaybar
She died a few months after her father's death, and was buried in Jannat Al-Baqi', but the exact location of her grave is unknown. Most Shia Muslims believe that she died as a result of her injury caused by Umar, incurred while defending Ali against Abu Bakr.
Fatimah as believed by Sunnis is the fourth of Muhammad's daughters after Zaynab, Ruqayya, and Umm Kulthum.While according to Shi'a scholars, Fatimah was Muhammad's only biological daughter, they further claimed, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum are actually, being the daughters of Hala, the sister of Khadijah, who were adopted by Muhammad and Khadijah at her death. A strong reason given by the Shi'a scholars for this belief is the event of (mubahala) mentioned in the Quran, in which there is no reference of the presence of any other female apart from Fatimah, however Sunnis accept that Muhammad had four daughters all from Khadijah.
According to tradition, on one occasion while Muhammad was performing the salah (prayer) in the Kaaba, Amr ibn Hishām (Abu Jahl) and his men poured camel placenta over him. Fatimah, upon hearing the news, rushed to her father and wiped away the filth while scolding the men.
Following the death of her mother, Fatimah was overcome by sorrow and found it very difficult to come to terms with her death. She was consoled by her father, who informed her that he had received word from angel Gabriel that God had built for her a palace in paradise.
Poverty
After her marriage to Ali, the wedded couple led a life of abject poverty in contrast to her sisters who were all married to wealthy individuals. Ali had built a house not too far from Muhammad's residence where he lived with Fatimah. However, due to Fatimah's desire to be closer to her father, a Medinan (Haritha bin al-Numan) donated his own house to them. At the beginning they were extremely poor. For several years after her marriage, she did all of the work by herself. The shoulder on which she carried pitchers of water from the well was swollen and the hand with which she worked the handmill to grind corn where often covered with blisters. Fatimah vouched to take care of the household work, make dough, bake bread, and clean the house; in return, Ali vouched to take care of the outside work such as gathering firewood, and bringing food. Ali worked to irrigate other peoples lands by drawing water from the wells which caused him to complain of chest pains. Their circumstances were akin to many of the Muslims at the time and only improved following the Battle of Khaybar when the produce of Khaybar was distributed among the poor. When the economic situations of the Muslims become better, Fatimah gained some maids but treated them like her family and performed the house duties with them. Another reference to their simple life comes to us from the Tasbih of Fatimah, a divine formula that was first given to Fatimah when she asked her father for a kaneez (servant girl) in order to help her with household chores. Her father asked her if she would like a gift instead that was better than a servant and worth more than everything in the world. Upon her ready agreement, he told her to recite at the end of every prayer the Great Exaltation, Allahu Akbar 34 times, the Statement of Absolute Gratitude, Alhamdulillah 33 times and the Invocation of Divine Glory, Subhan'Allah 33 times, totalling 100. This collective prayer is called the Tasbih of Fatima.
Marriage Relationship
An indication of their special relationship is found in the fact that Ali never married another woman as long as Fatima was alive. Sunni sources explain this curiosity in a tradition in which Ali asks for Abu Jahl's daughter in marriage, but the Prophet does not allow him to marry her because it would upset Fatimah. The three most popular versions of this tradition are related by al-Miswar b. Makhrama, a Companion who was about nine years old when the Prophet died. On one occasion, a member of the house of Hisham ibn al-Mughirah proposed that Ali marry a woman from their clan. Ali did not immediately reject the proposal and when word reached Muhammad he is reported to have said, "Fatimah is a part of me and whoever offends her offends me."Muhammad re-iterated his affection for Fatimah when she was made aware that Ali had proposed to a daughter of Abu Jahl. From the pulpit Muhammad pronounced, "she is indeed a part of me" and that Ali would have to first divorce Fatimah before the marriage could go ahead.
According to Denise L. Soufi, the purpose of the narration -in which Ali asks for Abu Jahl's daughter's hand- is to denigrate Ali or to establish the Sunni orthodoxy that the fourth Khalif, i.e. Ali, is lower in rank than the earlier ones.
Ali was given the name of Abu Turab (the man of dust) by Muhammad. Although some sources explain this by linking it to the disputes with Fatimah where, instead of arguing with Fatimah, Ali would go and put dust on his head, other sources such as Ibn Hisham and Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal say this name was given to Ali before marriage.
According to the Encyclopedia of Islam, Fatimah had occasional disputes with her husband and often sought the intersession of her father who showed signs of great satisfaction upon reconciling the couple's differences. Denise L. Soufi on the other hand finds such tradition as "mere a narrative device to praise Ali". For example she says:
((...her complaints about Ali elicit high praise from the Prophet for him. In fact, whenever Fatima has any troubles or worries in her life, it is usually praise for Ali which is used to comfort her.))
In her view, these traditions are kept for the purpose of the Sunni-Shia debate over the Caliphate, even though they are in contrast with what she describes the Shia picture of the marriage to be "harmonious and divinely ordained".
Shia acknowledge the saying of Muhammad, "Fatimah is a part of me and whoever offends her offends me", however the context of the reporting in reference to Ali is disputed. "Among the many fabricated stories told against Imam Ali was that he had asked for Abu Jahl's (the chief of infidels) daughter's hand in marriage. When this news reached Fatimah (A), she rushed to her father who found out the falsity of the story."
Shia say this statement was used by Fatimah herself when she spoke to Abu Bakr and Umar, stating that they had both displeased her.
Following his selection to the caliphate after a meeting in Saqifah, Abu Bakr and Umar with a few other companions headed to Fatimah's house to obtain homage from Ali and his supporters who had gathered there. Then Umar threatened to set the house on fire unless they came out and swore allegiance with Abu Bakr. There isn't consensus among the sources about what happened next. According to the Encyclopaedia of Islam, some Shia sources say that upon seeing them, Ali came out with his sword drawn but Umar, Abu Bakar and their companions returned without any allegiance on the hand of Abu Baker.Ali did not accept or reject Abu Bakar's Khilafat and also helped him in solving may state problems. According to Denise L. Soufi: ((...traditions discussing her involvement in the events which took place after the death of the Prophet seem to contain some truth despite their partisan biases. This is due to the fact that the Sunnis were unable to completely suppress what was so obviously detrimental to their reconstruction of religious history: namely, that Fatima quarreled with abu Bakr over his seizure of the caliphate and the Prophet's properties, that she never forgave hime for his actions and that ther death was kept secret for some time, probably at her request, in order to prevent him from presiding over her funeral rites. What is ironic is that this small window into the character of Fatima has been downplayed or ignored by Sunnis and inflated and overemphasized by Shiis...))
Shia historians hold that Umar called for Ali and his men to come out and swear allegiance to Abu Bakr. When they did not, Umar broke in, resulting in Fatimah's ribs being broken by being pressed between the door and the wall causing her to miscarry Muhsin which led to her eventual death. Another version of the events says that Umar sent a force led by his slave-boy Qunfud to Fatimah's house instructing them to bring Ali to the mosque. Arriving at the house, Qunfud requested permission to enter, which was refused by Ali causing Qunfud to return to Abu Bakr and Umar and relate the events, who instructed them to go back and enter the house by force if necessary. Qunfud and his men returned but were this time refused permission by Fatimah which caused Qunfud to send his men back to Abu Bakr and Umar for further instructions who told them to burn the house down if necessary in order to bring Ali to them.
After the death of her father, Fatimah approached Abu Bakr and asked him to relinquish her share of the inheritance from Muhammad's estate. Fatimah expected the land of Fadak (situated 30 mi (48 km) from Medina) and a share of Khaybar would be passed onto her as part of her inheritance. However, Abu Bakr rejected her request citing a narration where Muhammad stated that prophets do not leave behind inheritance and that all their possessions become sadaqah to be used for charity. Fatimah was upset at this flat refusal by Abu Bakr and did not speak to him until her death (however some Sunni sources claim she had reconciled her differences with Abu Bakr before she died). Shias contend that Fadak had been gifted to Fatimah by Muhammad and Abu Bakr was wrong in not allowing her to take possession of it.
In the hadith collected by Muhammad al-Bukhari Aisha stated the following;
Fatimah asked Abu Bakr, "When you die who will inherit you?" He replied, "My children and relatives." She said, "What is the justification of your becoming inheritor of the Prophet keeping us away?" He replied, "O daughter of the Apostle of Allah! I did not inherit your father’s land, gold, silver, slave, or property. She said, "The share of Allah (Khums i.e. one-fifth) which He has allotted to us and which is only our share is in your hands." Thereupon he replied, "I heard the Apostle of Allah saying, "It is the food that Allah makes me eat. When I die it will be distributed among the Muslims" (page 392). Abu Bakr said, "Verily, the Apostle of Allah said, "We do not leave inheritance, what we leave goes into sadaqah. Verily, the members of Muhammad’s family will get provision from this money. By Allah! I shall not change the distribution of the sadaqah of the Apostle of Allah from what it was in the time of Apostle of Allah. I shall continue to spend them under the same heads as the Apostle of Allah was spending. So Abu Bakr refused to give anything to Fatimah. Consequently Fatimah became angry with Abu Bakr and left him. She did not talk with him till she died. She lived six months after the Apostle of Allah. (page 392)
Fatimah came to Abu Bakr and demanded her share in the inheritance. Al-Abbas came to him and demanded his share in the inheritance. Ali came with them. Thereupon Abu Bakr said, "The Apostle of Allah said, "We leave no inheritance, what we leave behind us is sadaqah." I shall make provisions for those for whom the Prophet had made." On this Ali said, "Sulayman (Solomon) inherited Dawud (David), and Zakariya said, ‘He may be my heir and the heir of the children of Yaqab (Zachariah and John the Baptist)’". Abu Bakr said, "This is as this is. By Allah! You know it as I know." Thereupon Ali said, "This is the Book of Allah that speaks." Then they became quiet and retired. (page 393).
Commemoration ceremony for Fatimah's martyrdom in Iran (The door and burnt house resemble the way, she got martyred by Umar ibn al-Khattab
Following the farewell pilgrimage,
Muhammad summoned Fatimah and informed her that he would be dying soon
but also informed her that she would be the first of his household to
join him.
Some days after this discussion, Muhammad died, following which Fatimah
was grief-stricken and remained so for the remainder of her life until
she died less than six months later, in the month of Ramadhan. Sunnis believe that Fatimah reconciled her differences with Abu Bakr prior to her death although the Shia Muslims believe in her anger with him until her death.
There are two distinct views on the manner of her martyrdom between the Shias and Sunnis.
Shias, however, maintain that Fatimah died as a result of injuries sustained after her house was raided by Umar ibn al-Khattab who burnt the house and stormed her house by pushing the door to the farthest extent, cracking her rib-cage whilst she was pregnant. Note that this accident also has been affirmed by the Sufi (nagina mosque order) scholar Maulana Shibli's famous book Al-Farook, but he has described the other reasons for this incident as well. Umar not only murdered her in the process but her unborn child, Mohsen, who was miscarried shortly thereafter as a direct result of Umar's attack. Muhammad appeared in a dream and informed Fatimah that she would be passing away the next day. Fatimah informed her husband Ali of her impending death, and asked him not to allow the oppressors to be involved in her ceremonial prayers janazah (prayer performed in congregation after the death of a Muslim) or take part in the burial.
Some sources say, the next day when she died, her two sons were the first family members to learn of her death and immediately proceeded to the mosque to inform their father who, upon hearing the news, fell unconscious. When he regained consciousness, Ali, according to Fatimah's wishes, performed the janazah and buried her during the night on 3rd Jumada al-Thani 11 AH (632) making out three other false graves to ensure her real grave could not be identified. With him were his family and a few of his close companions.
Shias and specially Iranians held ceremonies every year during 20 days in Jumada al-awwal and Jumada al-awwal to commemorate the anniversary of the martyrdom of Fatimah. Mourners marched in procession through the streets to reaffirm their allegiance to the ideals of Fatima. The exact location of her grave is hidden as she asked to hide her grave location from the first Caliph.
The Sunnis state that on the morning of her death, she took a bath, put on new clothes and lay down in bed. She asked for Ali and informed him that her time to die was very close. Upon hearing this news, Ali began to cry but was consoled by Fatimah who asked him to look after her two sons and for him to bury her without ceremony. After her death, Ali followed her wishes and buried her without informing the Medinan people.
Modern descendants of Muhammad trace their lineage exclusively through Fatimah, as she was the only surviving child of Muhammad. Muhammad had no sons who reached adulthood.
Fatimah's descendants are given the honorific titles Sayyid (meaning lord or sir), Sharif (meaning noble), and respected by both Sunni and Shi'a, though the Shi'as place much more emphasis and value on the distinction.
She died a few months after her father's death, and was buried in Jannat Al-Baqi', but the exact location of her grave is unknown. Most Shia Muslims believe that she died as a result of her injury caused by Umar, incurred while defending Ali against Abu Bakr.
Birth
See also: Genealogy of Khadijah's daughters
Fatimah was born in Mecca to Khadija, the first wife of Muhammad.
There are differences of opinion on the exact date of her birth (605),
but the widely accepted view is that she was born five years before the
first Qur'anic revelations, during the time of the rebuilding of the Kaaba in 605, although this does imply she was over 18 at the time of her marriage, which was unusual in Arabia. Shia sources, however, state that she was born either two or five years after the first Qur'anic revelations,but that timeline would imply her mother was over fifty at the time of her birth.Fatimah as believed by Sunnis is the fourth of Muhammad's daughters after Zaynab, Ruqayya, and Umm Kulthum.While according to Shi'a scholars, Fatimah was Muhammad's only biological daughter, they further claimed, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum are actually, being the daughters of Hala, the sister of Khadijah, who were adopted by Muhammad and Khadijah at her death. A strong reason given by the Shi'a scholars for this belief is the event of (mubahala) mentioned in the Quran, in which there is no reference of the presence of any other female apart from Fatimah, however Sunnis accept that Muhammad had four daughters all from Khadijah.
Titles
Arabic calligraphy reading Fatimah az-Zahra
See also: List of Shi'a titles for Fatima Zahra
Fatimah is given many titles by Muslims to show their admiration of
her moral and physical characteristics. The most used title is "al-Zahra", meaning "the shining one", and she is commonly referred to as Fatimah Zahra. She was also known as Ummu Abeeha (Mother of her Father) and "al-Batul" (the chaste and pure one) as she spent much of her time in prayer, reciting the Qur'an and in other acts of worship.
Early life
Following the birth of Fatimah, she was personally nursed, contrary to local customs where the newborn were sent to "wet nurses" in surrounding villages. She spent her early youth under the care of her parents in Mecca in the
shadow of the tribulations suffered by her father at the hands of the
Quraysh.According to tradition, on one occasion while Muhammad was performing the salah (prayer) in the Kaaba, Amr ibn Hishām (Abu Jahl) and his men poured camel placenta over him. Fatimah, upon hearing the news, rushed to her father and wiped away the filth while scolding the men.
Following the death of her mother, Fatimah was overcome by sorrow and found it very difficult to come to terms with her death. She was consoled by her father, who informed her that he had received word from angel Gabriel that God had built for her a palace in paradise.
Marriage
Many of Muhammad's companions asked for Fatimah's hand in marriage,
including Abu Bakr and Umar. Muhammad turned them all down, saying that
he was awaiting a sign of her destiny. Ali, Muhammad's cousin,
also had a desire to marry Fatimah but did not have the courage to
approach Muhammad due to his (Ali's) poverty. Even when he mustered up
the courage and went to see Muhammad, he could not vocalise his
intention but remained silent. Muhammad understood the reason for his
being there and prompted Ali to confirm that he had come to seek Fatimah
in marriage. He suggested that Ali had a shield, which if sold, would
provide sufficient money to pay the bridal gift (mahr).Muhammad put forward the proposal from Ali to Fatimah, who remained
silent and did not protest, which Muhammad took to be a sign of
affirmation and consent. The actual date of the marriage is unclear, but it most likely took place in 623, the second year of the hijra,
although some sources say it was in 622. The age of Fatimah is reported
to have been 9 or 19 (due to differences of opinion on the exact date
of her birth i.e. 605 or 615) at the time of her marriage while Ali was
between 21 and 25.Muhammad told Ali that he had been ordered by God to give his daughter Fatimah to Ali in marriage. Muhammad said to Fatimah: "I have married you to the dearest of my family to me." Ali sold his shield to raise the money needed for the wedding, as suggested by Muhammad. However, Uthman ibn Affan, to whom the shield was sold, gave it back to Ali saying it was his wedding gift to Ali and Fatimah. Muhammad himself performed the wedding ceremony and two of his wives, Aisha and Umm Salama, prepared the wedding feast with dates, figs, sheep and other food donated by various members of the Medinan community. According to Hossein Nasr,
their marriage possesses a special spiritual significance for all
Muslims because it is seen as the marriage between the greatest saintly
figures surrounding Muhammad. Their marriage lasted about ten years and ended when Fatimah died. Although polygyny is permitted by Islam, Ali did not marry another woman while Fatimah was alive.Poverty
After her marriage to Ali, the wedded couple led a life of abject poverty in contrast to her sisters who were all married to wealthy individuals. Ali had built a house not too far from Muhammad's residence where he lived with Fatimah. However, due to Fatimah's desire to be closer to her father, a Medinan (Haritha bin al-Numan) donated his own house to them. At the beginning they were extremely poor. For several years after her marriage, she did all of the work by herself. The shoulder on which she carried pitchers of water from the well was swollen and the hand with which she worked the handmill to grind corn where often covered with blisters. Fatimah vouched to take care of the household work, make dough, bake bread, and clean the house; in return, Ali vouched to take care of the outside work such as gathering firewood, and bringing food. Ali worked to irrigate other peoples lands by drawing water from the wells which caused him to complain of chest pains. Their circumstances were akin to many of the Muslims at the time and only improved following the Battle of Khaybar when the produce of Khaybar was distributed among the poor. When the economic situations of the Muslims become better, Fatimah gained some maids but treated them like her family and performed the house duties with them. Another reference to their simple life comes to us from the Tasbih of Fatimah, a divine formula that was first given to Fatimah when she asked her father for a kaneez (servant girl) in order to help her with household chores. Her father asked her if she would like a gift instead that was better than a servant and worth more than everything in the world. Upon her ready agreement, he told her to recite at the end of every prayer the Great Exaltation, Allahu Akbar 34 times, the Statement of Absolute Gratitude, Alhamdulillah 33 times and the Invocation of Divine Glory, Subhan'Allah 33 times, totalling 100. This collective prayer is called the Tasbih of Fatima.
Marriage Relationship
An indication of their special relationship is found in the fact that Ali never married another woman as long as Fatima was alive. Sunni sources explain this curiosity in a tradition in which Ali asks for Abu Jahl's daughter in marriage, but the Prophet does not allow him to marry her because it would upset Fatimah. The three most popular versions of this tradition are related by al-Miswar b. Makhrama, a Companion who was about nine years old when the Prophet died. On one occasion, a member of the house of Hisham ibn al-Mughirah proposed that Ali marry a woman from their clan. Ali did not immediately reject the proposal and when word reached Muhammad he is reported to have said, "Fatimah is a part of me and whoever offends her offends me."Muhammad re-iterated his affection for Fatimah when she was made aware that Ali had proposed to a daughter of Abu Jahl. From the pulpit Muhammad pronounced, "she is indeed a part of me" and that Ali would have to first divorce Fatimah before the marriage could go ahead.
According to Denise L. Soufi, the purpose of the narration -in which Ali asks for Abu Jahl's daughter's hand- is to denigrate Ali or to establish the Sunni orthodoxy that the fourth Khalif, i.e. Ali, is lower in rank than the earlier ones.
Ali was given the name of Abu Turab (the man of dust) by Muhammad. Although some sources explain this by linking it to the disputes with Fatimah where, instead of arguing with Fatimah, Ali would go and put dust on his head, other sources such as Ibn Hisham and Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal say this name was given to Ali before marriage.
According to the Encyclopedia of Islam, Fatimah had occasional disputes with her husband and often sought the intersession of her father who showed signs of great satisfaction upon reconciling the couple's differences. Denise L. Soufi on the other hand finds such tradition as "mere a narrative device to praise Ali". For example she says:
((...her complaints about Ali elicit high praise from the Prophet for him. In fact, whenever Fatima has any troubles or worries in her life, it is usually praise for Ali which is used to comfort her.))
In her view, these traditions are kept for the purpose of the Sunni-Shia debate over the Caliphate, even though they are in contrast with what she describes the Shia picture of the marriage to be "harmonious and divinely ordained".
Shia acknowledge the saying of Muhammad, "Fatimah is a part of me and whoever offends her offends me", however the context of the reporting in reference to Ali is disputed. "Among the many fabricated stories told against Imam Ali was that he had asked for Abu Jahl's (the chief of infidels) daughter's hand in marriage. When this news reached Fatimah (A), she rushed to her father who found out the falsity of the story."
Shia say this statement was used by Fatimah herself when she spoke to Abu Bakr and Umar, stating that they had both displeased her.
On the battlefield
Following the Battle of Uhud,
Fatimah tended to the wounds of her father and husband, and took it
upon herself to regularly visit the graves of all those who died in the
battle and pray for them. Fatimah, along with her husband, was also
called upon by Abu Sufyan to intercede on his behalf with Muhammad while attempting to make amends following the violation of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah.
Abu Sufyan also asked for Fatimah's protection when she went to Mecca
while it was under occupation which she refused under instruction from
her father.
Fatimah in the Quran
See also: Ahl al-Bayt Some verses in the Qur'an are associated to Fatimah and her household by classical exegetes, although she is not mentioned by name. According to J. D. McAuliffe, two of the most important verses include the verse of purification, which is the 33rd ayah in sura al-Ahzab and the 61st ayah in sura Al-i-Imran. In the first verse, the phrase "people of the house" (ahl al-bayt) is ordinarily understood to consist of Muhammad, Fatimah, her husband Ali and their two sons (al-Tabari in his exegesis also mentions a tradition that interprets "people of the house" as Muhammad's wives; for Ibn al-Jawzi, the order of these options is reversed). The second verse refers to an episode in which Muhammad proposed an ordeal of mutual adjuration (mubahala)
to a delegation of Christians. Fatimah, according to the "occasion for
the revelation" of this verse, was among those offered by Muhammad as
witnesses and guarantors.
Muslim exegesis of the Qur'anic verse 3:42, links the praise of Mary, the mother of Jesus, with that of Fatimah based on a quote attributed to Muhammad that lists the outstanding women of all time as Mary, Asiya (the wife of Pharaoh), Khadija and Fatimah (the all Muslim commentaries insists upon the absolute superiority of Fatimah).
Life after the death of Muhammad
Location of grave of Fatema (marked *) and others at J.Baqi, Medina
grave of Fatema(single front one) and others at J.Baqi,Medina
Caliphate of Abu Bakr
Main article: Succession to Muhammad
See also: Umar at Fatimah's house
For the few months that she survived following the death of her
father, Fatimah found herself indirectly at the center of political
disunity. Differing accounts of the events surrounding the commencement
of the caliphate exist which were the cause of the Shia and Sunni split.
According to the Sunnis the majority of Muslims at the time of
Muhammed's death favoured Abu Bakr as the Caliph while a portion of the
population supported Fatimah's husband, Ali.Following his selection to the caliphate after a meeting in Saqifah, Abu Bakr and Umar with a few other companions headed to Fatimah's house to obtain homage from Ali and his supporters who had gathered there. Then Umar threatened to set the house on fire unless they came out and swore allegiance with Abu Bakr. There isn't consensus among the sources about what happened next. According to the Encyclopaedia of Islam, some Shia sources say that upon seeing them, Ali came out with his sword drawn but Umar, Abu Bakar and their companions returned without any allegiance on the hand of Abu Baker.Ali did not accept or reject Abu Bakar's Khilafat and also helped him in solving may state problems. According to Denise L. Soufi: ((...traditions discussing her involvement in the events which took place after the death of the Prophet seem to contain some truth despite their partisan biases. This is due to the fact that the Sunnis were unable to completely suppress what was so obviously detrimental to their reconstruction of religious history: namely, that Fatima quarreled with abu Bakr over his seizure of the caliphate and the Prophet's properties, that she never forgave hime for his actions and that ther death was kept secret for some time, probably at her request, in order to prevent him from presiding over her funeral rites. What is ironic is that this small window into the character of Fatima has been downplayed or ignored by Sunnis and inflated and overemphasized by Shiis...))
Shia historians hold that Umar called for Ali and his men to come out and swear allegiance to Abu Bakr. When they did not, Umar broke in, resulting in Fatimah's ribs being broken by being pressed between the door and the wall causing her to miscarry Muhsin which led to her eventual death. Another version of the events says that Umar sent a force led by his slave-boy Qunfud to Fatimah's house instructing them to bring Ali to the mosque. Arriving at the house, Qunfud requested permission to enter, which was refused by Ali causing Qunfud to return to Abu Bakr and Umar and relate the events, who instructed them to go back and enter the house by force if necessary. Qunfud and his men returned but were this time refused permission by Fatimah which caused Qunfud to send his men back to Abu Bakr and Umar for further instructions who told them to burn the house down if necessary in order to bring Ali to them.
After the death of her father, Fatimah approached Abu Bakr and asked him to relinquish her share of the inheritance from Muhammad's estate. Fatimah expected the land of Fadak (situated 30 mi (48 km) from Medina) and a share of Khaybar would be passed onto her as part of her inheritance. However, Abu Bakr rejected her request citing a narration where Muhammad stated that prophets do not leave behind inheritance and that all their possessions become sadaqah to be used for charity. Fatimah was upset at this flat refusal by Abu Bakr and did not speak to him until her death (however some Sunni sources claim she had reconciled her differences with Abu Bakr before she died). Shias contend that Fadak had been gifted to Fatimah by Muhammad and Abu Bakr was wrong in not allowing her to take possession of it.
In the hadith collected by Muhammad al-Bukhari Aisha stated the following;
According to the one of the famous scholars, "Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir, (Book of the Major Classes), Volume 2, by Ibn Sa’d, pages 391–394(mother of the believers) After the death of Allah's Apostle Fatimah the daughter of Allah's Apostle asked Abu Bakr As-Siddiq to give her, her share of inheritance from what Allah's Apostle had left of the Fai (i.e. booty gained without fighting) which Allah had given him. Abu Bakr said to her, "Allah's Apostle said, 'Our property will not be inherited, whatever we (i.e. prophets) leave is Sadaqa (to be used for charity)." Fatimah, the daughter of Allah's Apostle got angry and stopped speaking to Abu Bakr, and continued assuming that attitude till she died. Fatimah remained alive for six months after the death of Allah's Apostle.—Muhammad al-Bukhari, Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 53, One-fifth of Booty to the Cause of Allah (Khumus)
Fatimah asked Abu Bakr, "When you die who will inherit you?" He replied, "My children and relatives." She said, "What is the justification of your becoming inheritor of the Prophet keeping us away?" He replied, "O daughter of the Apostle of Allah! I did not inherit your father’s land, gold, silver, slave, or property. She said, "The share of Allah (Khums i.e. one-fifth) which He has allotted to us and which is only our share is in your hands." Thereupon he replied, "I heard the Apostle of Allah saying, "It is the food that Allah makes me eat. When I die it will be distributed among the Muslims" (page 392). Abu Bakr said, "Verily, the Apostle of Allah said, "We do not leave inheritance, what we leave goes into sadaqah. Verily, the members of Muhammad’s family will get provision from this money. By Allah! I shall not change the distribution of the sadaqah of the Apostle of Allah from what it was in the time of Apostle of Allah. I shall continue to spend them under the same heads as the Apostle of Allah was spending. So Abu Bakr refused to give anything to Fatimah. Consequently Fatimah became angry with Abu Bakr and left him. She did not talk with him till she died. She lived six months after the Apostle of Allah. (page 392)
Fatimah came to Abu Bakr and demanded her share in the inheritance. Al-Abbas came to him and demanded his share in the inheritance. Ali came with them. Thereupon Abu Bakr said, "The Apostle of Allah said, "We leave no inheritance, what we leave behind us is sadaqah." I shall make provisions for those for whom the Prophet had made." On this Ali said, "Sulayman (Solomon) inherited Dawud (David), and Zakariya said, ‘He may be my heir and the heir of the children of Yaqab (Zachariah and John the Baptist)’". Abu Bakr said, "This is as this is. By Allah! You know it as I know." Thereupon Ali said, "This is the Book of Allah that speaks." Then they became quiet and retired. (page 393).
Martyrdom
See also: Umar at Fatimah's house
There are two distinct views on the manner of her martyrdom between the Shias and Sunnis.
Shias, however, maintain that Fatimah died as a result of injuries sustained after her house was raided by Umar ibn al-Khattab who burnt the house and stormed her house by pushing the door to the farthest extent, cracking her rib-cage whilst she was pregnant. Note that this accident also has been affirmed by the Sufi (nagina mosque order) scholar Maulana Shibli's famous book Al-Farook, but he has described the other reasons for this incident as well. Umar not only murdered her in the process but her unborn child, Mohsen, who was miscarried shortly thereafter as a direct result of Umar's attack. Muhammad appeared in a dream and informed Fatimah that she would be passing away the next day. Fatimah informed her husband Ali of her impending death, and asked him not to allow the oppressors to be involved in her ceremonial prayers janazah (prayer performed in congregation after the death of a Muslim) or take part in the burial.
Some sources say, the next day when she died, her two sons were the first family members to learn of her death and immediately proceeded to the mosque to inform their father who, upon hearing the news, fell unconscious. When he regained consciousness, Ali, according to Fatimah's wishes, performed the janazah and buried her during the night on 3rd Jumada al-Thani 11 AH (632) making out three other false graves to ensure her real grave could not be identified. With him were his family and a few of his close companions.
Shias and specially Iranians held ceremonies every year during 20 days in Jumada al-awwal and Jumada al-awwal to commemorate the anniversary of the martyrdom of Fatimah. Mourners marched in procession through the streets to reaffirm their allegiance to the ideals of Fatima. The exact location of her grave is hidden as she asked to hide her grave location from the first Caliph.
The Sunnis state that on the morning of her death, she took a bath, put on new clothes and lay down in bed. She asked for Ali and informed him that her time to die was very close. Upon hearing this news, Ali began to cry but was consoled by Fatimah who asked him to look after her two sons and for him to bury her without ceremony. After her death, Ali followed her wishes and buried her without informing the Medinan people.
Descendants
See also: Descendants of Ali ibn Abi Talib
Fatimah was survived by two sons, Hasan and Husayn, and two daughters, Zaynab and Umm Kulthum. Controversy surrounds the fate of her third son, Muhsin. Shias say that she miscarried following an attack on her house by Abu Bakr and Umar, while Sunnis insist that Muhsin died in his infancy of natural causes.Modern descendants of Muhammad trace their lineage exclusively through Fatimah, as she was the only surviving child of Muhammad. Muhammad had no sons who reached adulthood.
Fatimah's descendants are given the honorific titles Sayyid (meaning lord or sir), Sharif (meaning noble), and respected by both Sunni and Shi'a, though the Shi'as place much more emphasis and value on the distinction.
Views
Muslims regard Fatimah as a loving and devoted daughter, mother, wife, a sincere Muslim, and an exemplar for women. It is believed that she was very close to her father and her distinction from other women is mentioned in many hadith.After Khadijah, Muslims regard Fatimah as the most significant historical figure, considered to be the leader (Arabic: Sayyidih) of all women in this world and in Paradise. It is because of her moral purity that she occupies an analogous position in Islam to that Mary occupies in Christianity. She was the first wife of Ali, whom Sunnis consider the fourth Rashidun caliph and Shias consider the first infallible Imamah, the mother of the second and third Imams, and the ancestor of all the succeeding Imams; indeed, the Fatimid Caliphate is named after her.
Shia view
Main article: Shi'a view of Fatimah
See also: The Fourteen Infallibles and Fatimid
Fatimah, regarded as "the Mother of the Imams", plays a special role
in Shia piety. She has a unique status as Muhammad's only surviving
child, the wife of Ali, their first Imam, and the mother of Hasan and
Husayn. Fatimid
Caliphate/ Imamate is based on her name. Fatimid faith continue further
in Ismaili/Bohras (refer Tree on right). She is believed to have been immaculate,
sinless and a pattern for Muslim women. Although leading a life of
poverty, the Shia tradition emphasizes her compassion and sharing of
whatever she had with others. According to Mahmoud Ayoub, the two main images of Fatimah within the
Shia tradition is that of "Eternal Weeper" and "the Judge in the
hereafter".
According to Shia tradition, the suffering and death of Fatimah was the
first tragedy of Islam. She spent her last days mourning at the death
of her father. Fatimah eternally weeps at the death of her two sons, who
were murdered by the Umayyads.
Shias believe they share in Fatimah's suffering by weeping for her
sorrows. The tears of the faithful is also believed to console Fatimah.
Shias hold that Fatimah will play a redemptive role as the mistress of
the day of judgment in the hereafter as a reward for her suffering in
this world.